Vehicle body tool for twisting doors

ABSTRACT

An elongated lever bar defining a handle at one end and including an abutment pad at the other end for engagement with either the inner or outer surface of a vehicle door. One end of a wide strap is anchored to the abutment pad and the strap may be passed about the side of a vehicle door remote from the side thereof against which the abutment pad is abutted. The free end of the strap includes an anchor hook and one end of a tension member is anchored to the midportion of the lever bar and the other end of the tension member is engageable with the anchor hook carried by the free end of the strap. The bar may be engaged with a vehicle door in the prescribed manner in order to twist the door in order to straighten damaged doors and assist in aligning vehicle doors relative to the associated vehicle body door opening.

United States Patent 91 Tidwell 51 May 1,1973

[ VEHICLE BODY TOOL FOR TWISTING DOORS [76] Inventor: Ersey Clinton Tidwell, Route 2,

Dickson, Tenn. 37055 [22] Filed: Feb. 3, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 223,135

Hanak ..72/705 Primary ExaminerCharles W. Lanham Assistant Examiner-M. J. Keenan Attorney-Harvey B. Jacobson 5 ABSTRACT An elongated lever bar defining a handle at one end and including an abutment pad at the other end for engagement with either the inner or outer surface of a vehicle door. One end of a wide strap is anchored to the abutment pad and the strap may be passed about the side of a vehicle door remote from the side thereof against which the abutment pad is abutted. The free end of the strap includes an anchor hook and one end of a tension member is anchored to the midportion of the lever bar and the other end of the tension member is engageable with the anchor hook carried by the free end of the strap. The bar may be engaged with a vehicle door in the prescribed manner in order to twist the door in order to straighten damaged doors and assist in aligning vehicle doors relative to the associated vehicle body door opening.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 VEHICLE BODY TOOL FOR TWISTING DOORS The tool of the instant invention has been specifically designed to apply torsional forces on vehicle doors and is constructed in a manner whereby such torsional forces may be generated by the tool in opposite directions with the tool engaged either with the inside of the vehicle door or with the outside of the vehicle door. In addition, the tool will find uses in body shops other than the twisting of vehicle doors.

The lever bar portion of the tool is constructed of tubular stock so as to provide the necessary strength with a minimum of weight and the tension member comprises a link chain whereby the effective length of the tension member may be readily adjusted.

The main object of this invention is to provide a tool that may be utilized effectively in twisting vehicle body doors in order to straighten warped or otherwise damaged doors and to also facilitate in the alignment of vehicle doors with associated vehicle body door openings.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tool in accordance with the preceding objects that may be readily adjusted so as to be fully operative in conjunction with substantially all vehicle doors.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a tool that may be utilized to apply torsional forces to vehicle body doors in a manner whereby the engagement of the tool with the door during use of the tool to apply torsional forces on the door will not mar the door in any manner.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a vehicle body door straightening tool in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent resideiin the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the front end portion of a conventional form of pickup truck with the right-hand door of the pickup truck in an open position and the tool of the instant invention operative- Iy associated with theopen right-hand door in order to twist the same in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view. of the tool;

FIG. 3 is a free end edge elevational view of the door of FIG. 1 and the associated tool with portions of the door and tool being broken away to more clearly illustrate the structural details of the tool and also the manner in which the tool is engaged with the door; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral generally designates a conventional form of pickup truck including a body portion defining a cab 12 having a door opening 14 formed therein. A door 16 is hinged from the body and is swiingable about an upstanding axis between the open position thereof illustrated in F IG. 1 and a closed position closing the door opening 14. Further, the door 16 has a window opening 18 formed therein.

The tool of the instant invention is referred to in general by the reference numeral 20 and includes an elongated tubular lever bar 22 having a handle grip defining sleeve 24 on one end. The other end of the lever bar 22 is slightly flattened as at 26 and pivotally secured between a pair of mounting ears 28 outstanding from one side of an abutment plate 30. A fastener 32 is secured through the mounting ears 28 and the flattened end of the lever bar 22 in order to pivotally attach the lever bar 22 to the abutment plate 30.

The face of the abutment plate 30 remote from the mounting ears 28 is covered by means of a resilient pad 34 and one end of a wide strap 36 is secured to the plate 30 by means of suitable fasteners 38.

An anchor sleeve 40 is slidably disposed on the lever bar 22 and has a pair of aligned radial bores 42 formed therein which are registrable with a selected pair of similar radial bores 44 formed in and spaced along the lever 22. The sleeve 40 may be secured in adjusted position along the lever bar 22 by the insertion of a lock pin 46 through the bores 42 and a selected pair of the bores 44.

The anchor sleeve 40 has an anchor eye 47 secured thereto and a doubleended clevis 48 is secured to the anchor eye 46 by means of a fastener 50.

One end of a length of link chain 52 is anchored to the clevis 48 by means of a fastener 54 and the free end of the strap 36 remote from the plate 30 has an anchor hook 55 secured thereto with which a selected link 56 of the chain 52 may be engaged.

With attention invited more specifically to FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings it may be seen that the tool 20 may be utilized to apply a torsional force on the door 16 by applying the abutment plate 30 to the outer end of the lower marginal edge of the door 16 on the outside surface thereof with the pad or cushion 34 engaging the outer surface of the door. Then, the strap 36 may be passed beneath the lower marginal edge of the door 16 and up along the inner surface of the door and out through the window opening 18. Thereafter, with the lever bar 22 disposed with its handle end at least slightly elevated relative to the abutment plate end, the anchor hook 55 is engaged with a selected link 56 of the chain 52. Further, the positioning of the anchor slot 40 along the lever bar 22 may be adjusted in a manner which is believed to be obvious. Then, if it is desired to exert a torsional force upon the door 16 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1 of the drawings, downward force may be applied to the outer handle end of the lever bar 22. On the other hand, if counterclockwise torsional forces are to be applied to the door 16, the tool 20 may have its abutment pad 30 engaged with the inner surface of the door so that the strap 36 passes over the outer surface of the door. Notwithstanding, in the event it is not possible to apply the tool 20 to the inside of the door 16, the padded abutment plate 30 may be engaged with the outer surface of the door 16 immediately below the window opening 18 and the strap 36 may be passed downwardly along the inner surface of the door 16 and then brought to the outer side of the door 16 beneath the lower marginal edge portion of the latter and anchored to the median portion of the lever bar 22 by means of the chain 52. In this manner, torsional forces may be applied to the door 16 in a counterclockwise direction by lifting upward on the outer handle end of the lever bar 22.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A tool for applying torsional forces to a vehicle door, said tool comprising an elongated lever having an abutment plate pivotally supported from one end thereof for oscillation about a transverse axis, an elongated strap member having one end anchored to said abutment plate, said strap member being at least slightly greater than the vertical distance between the lower marginal edge of a vehicle door and the lower marginal portion of the window opening formed in the vehicle door, the end of said strap member remote from said abutment plate having anchor means secured thereto, an anchor member carried by a median portion of said lever, and adjustable length tension member means having one end secured to said anchor member and the other end anchored to said anchor means.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said anchor member and lever include coacting means for adjustably positioning said anchor member longitudinally of the median portion of said lever.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein one side of said abutment plate faces generally endwise outwardly of the corresponding end of said elongated lever, said one side of said anchor plate including a resilient covering serving as a pad.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said adjustable length tension member comprises a length of link chain, said anchor means carried by the end of said strap remote from said abutment plate comprising a hook selectively engageable with individual links of said link chain.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said anchor member and lever include coacting means for adjustably positioning said anchor member longitudinally of the median portion of said lever, one side of said abutment plate facing generally endwise outwardly of the corresponding end of said elongated lever, said one side of said anchor plate including a resilient covering serving as a pad.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said adjustable length tension member comprises a length of link chain, said anchor means carried by the end of said strap remote from said abutment plate comprising a hook selectively engageable with individual links of said link chain. 

1. A tool for applying torsional forces to a vehicle door, said tool comprising an elongated lever having an abutment plate pivotally supported from one end thereof for oscillation about a transverse axis, an elongated strap member having one end anchored to said abutment plate, said strap member being at least slightly greater than the vertical distance between the lower marginal edge of a vehicle door and the lower marginal portion of the window opening formed in the vehicle door, the end of said strap member remote from said abutment plate having anchor means secured thereto, an anchor member carried by a median portion of said lever, and adjustable length tension member means having one end secured to said anchor member and the other end anchored to said anchor means.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said anchor member and lever include coacting means for adjustably positioning said anchor member longitudinally of the median portion of said lever.
 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein one side of said abutment plate faces generally endwise outwardly of the corresponding end of said elongated lever, said one side of said anchor plate including a resilient covering serving as a pad.
 4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said adjustable length tension member comprises a length of link chain, said anchor means carried by the end of said strap remote from said abutment plate comprising a hook selectively engageable with individual links of said link chain.
 5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said anchor member and lever include coacting means for adjustably positioning said anchor member longitudinally of the median portion of said lever, one side of said abutment plate facing generally endwise outwardly of the corresponding end of said elongated lever, said one side of said anchor plate including a resilient covering serving as a pad.
 6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said adjustable length tension member comprises a length of link chain, said anchor means carried by the end of said strap remote from said abutment plate comprising a hook selectively engageable with individual links of said link chain. 